The proliferation of mobile communication devices such as smartphones and other wireless telephone handsets has enabled people to be constantly in touch with each other. While mobile handsets may at one time have been used primarily for voice communications, people are increasingly using mobile devices for various other types of communications such as text messaging.
Texting while driving is a significant cause of automobile accidents and death. In order to read a text message, a driver must take his or her eyes from the road for at least several seconds, during which many different things might happen to cause a crash. In addition, composing a text message often requires the driver to take at least one hand from the steering wheel.
Many studies have shown that a driver is much more likely to be in an accident if he or she is texting, and that texting is one of the most dangerous activities that can be performed with a communication device while driving. It has been estimated that one in four accidents in the United States is caused by texting while driving.